Getting Started with Mobile Communication Channels

What are the Mobile Communication Channels?

There are different options that you could employ to engage with customers, participants, respondents, clients e.t.c and what we offer our mobile engagement tools which are: SMS, USSD, Interactive Voice Response and Sensors. You can choose employ one or a combination of these communication channels within the various engagements that you would create on the platform.

Text Messaging(SMS)

An SMS short code is a five digit number (such as 20788), which can be used to both send and receive messages from users.It is usually an easy to remember number allowing two-way communication between companies and their clients. The Echo Platform allows you to send out messages to multiple contacts with one click of a button using the SMS channel through a SMS short-code.

For short-codes, there are type of short-codes that you could use on your Echo Mobile account which are Shared short-codes and Private Short-codes. Shared short-codes are a common short code shared among many of our clients. Private short-codes are a short code that is licensed JUST for your company. It ensures that you will have a unique 5-digit short code to communicate with your beneficiaries/clients.

Voice Calls (IVR)

Voice or Interactive Voice Response (IVR) channel allows you to conduct interviews through automated phone calls. You can upload audio questions and respondents answer verbally or by using the keypad on their basic mobile phone. In regions with lower literacy rates, IVR can enable interactive communications that aren't otherwise possible.

For IVR/Voice, there are types of IVR services which are Toll Free Numbers and Regular Numbers. Toll free numbers allow your end-users to call in for free and the cost of the call is paid by your organisation.
With regular numbers, incoming calls are charged to respondents. Call can be either initiated by your organization or by the end-user when using a regular IVR number.

Menu- Based Sessions/USSD

Menu based Sessions or USSD(Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) are codes in the format of *123*4567# for 7-digit-code USSD and *123# for 3-digit-code premium USSD. They allow for your end users to have instantaneous communication with your organization and a seamless user experience.
USSD cannot be pushed to end-users phone as SMS or IVR. It must be triggered by the end-user.